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Common Invertebrates with Two or Three Solid Colors
These animals have two major colors. Go back to color/pattern menu:
Red & Black Yellow & Black Orange & Black Red & Green Red & White Red & Blue Orange & White Green & Orange Green & Brown Green & Blue Others
Red, Black & Gray Three Colors: Others
Red or Orange and Black
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Cowkiller Velvet Ant (Dasymutilla occidentalis), Mason Farm Biological Reserve, Orange County, NC, 9/1/07. The Cowkiller is infamous for its painful sting. |
Braconid
wasp
(Atanycolus genus), Cypress Gardens, Berkeley County, SC, 10/12/07 |
Yucca Plant Bug (Halticotoma valida), on agave plant at NC Botanical Garden, 11/21/07. This is a tiny insect, only about 2 mm long. | Mirid Bug (Lopidea genus), Penny's Bend Nature Preserve, Durham, NC, 5/24/08 | White-lined Burrower Bug nymph, (Sehira cinctus), Durham, 5/18/05 | Male Calico Pennant Dragonfly (Celithemis elisa), Penny's Bend Nature Preserve, Durham, NC, 5/20/10 | Checkered beetle (Enoclerus rosmarus), Durham, NC, 5/19/10 | Colorful Creek Bank Spider (Habronattus decorus, Pelleninae subfamily), Mason Farm Biological Reserve, Orange County, NC, 4/14/06. About ⅛ inch long. |
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Two adult female Black Widow Spiders (Latrodectus genus), Durham, NC, 5/29/09. The big one on the right (maybe pregnant) was much more reclusive and had made a rare trip outside this dark hiding place. The other disappeared after a couple of days. | Adult female Black Widow, Durham, NC, 7/22/09. Note dorsal red spots on abdomen. |
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Love Bug (Plecia nearctica), Durham, NC, 5/4/08. See other flies. | Argid Sawfly (Arge genus, quidia or scapularus species), Mason Farm Biological Reserve, Orange County, NC, 5/21/09. | Red-spotted Ant Mimic Spider (Castianeira descripta), Durham, 5/18/08 | Thread-waisted wasp (Prionyx genus, Prionchini tribe, Sphecinae subfamily), Greenville, Pitt County, NC, 9/20/08 |
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Small Milkweed Bug (Lygaeus kalmii [Stal, 1874]), Penny's Bend Nature Preserve, Durham County, NC, 3/2/08. | Large Milkweed Bug nymphs, NC Botanical Garden, Orange County, 11/26/05 | Boxelder Bug (Boisea trivittata), Durham, NC, 11/18/07 | Leaffooted bug nymphs, Ft. Fisher Basin Trail, New Hanover County, NC, 10/15/09. They were moving very fast, looked like fire ants at first. | Very well-fed Wheel Bug nymph, Durham, NC, 5/10/08. Actually, the abdomens of these animals look red as often as they do orange. | Largus succinctus [Linnaeus, 1763], Goose Creek State Park, Beaufort County, NC, 11/6/07. A seed eater. ID with reference to Texas Cooperative Extension/Texas A&M University System. |
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There are four net-winged beetles (Calopteron reticulatum) here. It's possible that it's a mating couple and two interlopers, but I wouldn't put down money on it! Durham, NC, 7/1/08 | Net-winged Beetle (Eros humeralis), Eno River State Park, Old Cole Mill Road access, Orange County, NC, 5/10/07. ID thanks to Tim R. Moyer. | Net-winged Beetle (Plateros genus), Johnston Mill Nature Preserve, Orange County, NC, 6/9/07 | Margined Leather-wing (Chauliognathus marginatus). Wing maintenance, Durham swamp, 7/2/05. Notice the leg over the wing. | Black Widow spiderling, one of a large group near a rock crevice on a power line cut in Durham, NC, 10/15/08. Might be a Southern Black Widow, but not sure. It matches this BugGuide picture of Missouri spiderlings. |
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Lichen Moth (Lycomorpha pholus, subfamily Lithosiinae), Johnston Mill Nature Preserve, Orange County, NC, 5/15/10 | Grapeleaf Skeletonizer Moth (Harrisina americana), outside at the Museum of Life & Science, Durham, 6/6/05. This is a notorious agricultural pest. | Yellow-collared Scape Moth (Cisseps fulvucollis, tribe Ctenuchini, subfamily Arctiinae), Durham, 10/24/05. | Red-spotted Ant Mimic Spider (Castianeira descripta), Durham, NC, 11/20/07 | Leaf-rolling Sawfly(Onycholyda amplecta), Mason Farm Biological Reserve, Orange County, NC, 6/7/06. . See BugGuide page. |
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Soft-winged flower beetle (Collops genus). Seen in neighborhood marsh. Durham, NC, 8/23/08 | Florida Predatory Stink Bug (Euthyrhynchus floridanus [Linnaeus, 1767]), Durham, NC, 11/9/09 | Picture-winged Fly (Tritoxa incurva), Durham, NC, 9/7/09 | Colorful foliage ground beetle (Lebia vittata, tribe Lebiini, subfamily Harpalinae), Durham, NC, 9/7/08. This beetle is a carnivore, even though it's on a leaf. | Flea Beetle (Disonycha genus, Alticini tribe), Durham, NC, 4/19/06. This beetle was visiting a dandelion. | Burdock Beetle (Leptinotarsa juncta). Same beetle, playing dead. Close to looking like a Colorado Potato Beetle, but no cigar: the broad black stripe and the thorax markings set it apart. It is an herbivore, but not a crop pest. |
These three red-and-black arthropods all mimic one another; none attacks humans (but please don't eat them in any case...)
Here is a very miscellaneous group that also would make easy prey without their distinctive colors. Although Boxelder Bug nymphs are lively, even they are handicapped by their winglessness.
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Very well-fed Wheel Bug (Arilus cristatus) nymph, Durham, NC, 5/10/08. This formidable creature can stand up to anything but droughts. | Boxelder Bug (Boisea trivittata) nymph, Durham, NC, 5/6/09 | Adult Boxelder Bug (Boisea trivittata), Durham, NC, 11/18/07. Now that it has wings, this bug doesn't need nearly as much red! | Mirid Bug (Lopidea genus), Penny's Bend Nature Preserve, Durham, NC, 5/24/08 |
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Largus Bug (Largus succinctus [Linnaeus, 1763]), Goose Creek State Park, Beaufort County, NC, 11/6/07. A seed eater. ID with reference to Texas Cooperative Extension/Texas A&M University System. | Pselliopus cinctus (a kind of assassin bug), which appeared on my garage door frame in Durham on 1/25/10. | Yucca Plant Bug (Halticotoma valida), on agave plant at NC Botanical Garden, 11/21/07. This is a tiny insect, only about 2 mm long. |
Red and Green
NOTE: Shiny green surfaces in direct light can look black in the shade.
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Soft-winged flower beetle (Collops genus). Seen in neighborhood marsh. Durham, NC, 8/23/08 | Florida Predatory Stink Bug nymph, Durham, NC, 6/10/09 | Long-legged fly, Durham, 6/20/05 |
Red and White
Triangulate
Orb Weaver Spider, Little River Park, Orange County, NC, 10/20/07
Red and Blue
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Male Blue-faced Meadowhawk Dragonfly (Sympetrum ambiguum), Durham, NC, 9/16/09. Seen in my local marsh. |
Yellow and Black/Brown
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Eastern Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa virginica), Museum of Life and Science grounds, Durham, NC, 4/23/09 | Triangulate Orb Weaver (Verrucosa arenata), White Pines Nature Preserve, Chatham County, NC, 9/25/05. One of at least two color patterns for this species, another being red and white. ID based on the State of Missouri's spiders page. | Triangulate Orb Weaver, Penny's Bend Nature Preserve, Durham, NC, 8/23/09 | Millipede (Sigmoria aberrans, family Xystodesmidae, Johnston's Mill Nature Preserve, Orange County, NC, 8/25/05. This millipede species is found only in North Carolina and Virginia. They pop up in my neighborhood in Durham regularly but infrequently. | Snowberry Clearwing Moths (Hemaris diffinis)mating, Durham, 8/4/03. | Tiger moth (Apantesis genus), Durham, NC, 5/21/09. There is probably orange on the hind wings, but this is a common view. | Leconte's Haploa caterpillar, a member of the Arctiidae (tiger moth) family, Arctiinae subfamily. It showed up on a dogwood tree branch. |
telling the truth.
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Cuckoo Bee (Nomada genus, Heminomada subgenus, most likely Imbricata species). ID thanks to John S. Ascher. | Crabronid wasp (Philanthus gibbosus), NC Botanical Garden, Orange County, NC, 8/28/06. This is a predator of halictid bees. | Ichneumonid Wasp, Durham, 10/29/05. Members of the Ichneumonidae family | Tiphiid wasps (Myzinum genus), Carolina Beach State Park, New Hanover County, NC, 6/23/07, struggling to get into one little hole in the sand. | Wasp (Scolia nobilitata). NOTE: The ITIS does not list the species nobilitata. | Eastern Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa virginica), Museum of Life and Science grounds, Durham, NC, 4/23/09 |
Batesian Mimicry: a warning that fools predators
These insects can't sting, but they'd like you to believe they can. The insects in these two rows mimic stinging prey of common predators.
Yellow and black stripes in these animals mislead predators into thinking that they sting.
A few interesting variations on the yellow-and-black stripes theme...
Orange and White
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Leaffooted Bug nymph, Durham, 6/6/05. This bug appeared on my car for no apparent reason. An early instar. | Leafhopper (Bandara genus), Durham, NC, 8/14/08. OK, this one is really speckled! | Yellow-shouldered Slug Moth (Lithacodes fasciola, subfamily Lithacodinae), Durham, 7/27/05. Taken at night. ID based on BugGuide. |
Green and Orange
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Florida Predatory Stink Bug (Euthyrhynchus floridanus [Linnaeus, 1767]), Durham, NC, 6/26/10 |
Green and Brown
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Stink Bug (Banasa dimiata), Eno River State Park, Orange County, NC, 7/22/09 | Female or young adult Common Green Darner Dragonfly(Anax junius), Ocracoke Island, 5/17/05 | Mating Praying Mantises (Mantis religiosa), Eno River SP, Old Cole Mill Road access, 9/16/05. | Chinese Mantis (Tenodera aridifolia), Appalachian Trail, Botetourt County, VA, 9/15/04. This was the biggest mantid I've ever seen. | Cicada nymph, most likely a Southern Dog-day Cicada. You can see wing pads on its side. See other hoppers. |
Green and Blue
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Male Common Green Darner, Durham, 7/27/06. This darner was constantly in flight at the edge of a swamp, but hovered long enough for me to take this photo. | Young adult male Blue Dasher (Pachidiplex longipennis), eating a fly. Durham, 6/2/06. The adult male eventually becomes all blue. | Sparkling Jewelwing (Calopteryx dimidiata). This insect may appear to be all blue or all green. The key is the partially black wing. See other damselflies. |
Other Two-color Combinations
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Snowberry Clearwing Moth caterpillar, Durham, NC, 10/3/07 | Distinguished Colomychus - Hodges #5200 (Colomychus talis), Durham, NC, 7/25/07. Thanks to Dennis Profant for ID. | Rosy Maple Moth (Dryocampa rubicunda, subfamily Ceratocampinae), 7/25/04. This member of the Royal Moth subfamily also found its way to the tennis court, but did not revive. Not all Saturniidae are large: this one was only about an inch long. | Hawaiian Beet Webworm (Spoladea recurvalis), Durham, NC, 9/28/08 |
Three or Four Colors
Red, Black and Gray
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Male jumping spider (Phidippus whitmani), at Abbott Lake, Peaks of Otter Recreational Area, Bedford County, VA, 7/9/09 | Checkered beetle (Enoclerus ichneumoneus), Penny's Bend Nature Preserve, Durham County, NC, 4/4/09. | Spider wasp (Psorthaspis mariae), Falls Lake Dam area, 9/11/10. It successfully mimicked a velvet ant in its movements. It actually looks more like the checkered beetle on the left. | Rustic Borer Beetle (Xylotrechus colonus), Durham, NC, 6/27/10. Photo taken at night. | Caterpillar Hunter Wasp (Ammophila genus), Greenville, NC, 9/20/08 | Harnessed Tiger Moth (Apantesis phalerata), Durham, NC, 5/13/07. Taken at night. |
Three Colors: Others
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Twelve-spotted Skimmer Dragonfly (Libellula pulchella), Durham, 8/21/05. | White Flannel Moth (Norape ovina), caterpillar, Umstead State Park, Wake County, NC, 9/5/04. Like the Puss Moth caterpillar, this caterpillar is poisonous. |
Copyright © 2010 by Dorothy E. Pugh. All rights reserved. Please contact for rights to use photos.